One
of the few Hawaiian guitarists during the 1920's and 1930's who could
be considered a legitimate contender to the title of "King of the
Hawaiian Guitar" was Benjamin Keakahiawa Nawahi. "King"
Bennie Nawahi was born on July 3, 1899 in Honolulu to a large family.
He taught himself to play slack key guitar, and by the age of 15 was playing
Hawaiian guitar in Honolulu parks for sailors and tourists.

In 1919 Bennie got a job playing steel guitar with his brother Joe's
group, the Hawaiian Novelty Five, on the passenger liner Matsonia.
The group worked between San Francisco and Honolulu, eventually touring
North America on the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. Before long, Bennie left
the group and became an established singer and ukulele virtuoso. He was
crowned "King of the Ukulele" by impresario Sid
Grauman of Grauman's Chinese Theater fame. His stunts included playing
the song "Turkey in the Straw" on Hawaiian guitar with his feet.

By 1928 Bennie Nawahi had started his recording career, recording on
many different labels, including Columbia, Victor, Q.R.S. and Grey Gull.
He settled in Los Angeles in the early 1930s and formed a group called
King Nawahi and the International Cowboys (which also featured a very
young Roy Rogers). Nawahi was one of the few Hawaiian musicians to consistently
black jazz or blues numbers, some with black groups such as the Georgia
Jumpers. He was also unusual among Hawaiian steel guitarists of his day
in that he used a single cone Triolian rather than the National tricone
guitars preferred by others.

In 1935, tragedy struck Nawahi, as he suddenly lost his eyesight while
returning home from a performance. Doctors were unable to explain why
he became blind. After a short time, he returned to the stage, working
with various Hawaiian groups in the Polynesian restaurants and clubs that
were popular in Southern California. After World War II, he again joined
his brother in the Nawahi trio, recorded a few additional tunes, and continued
to perform in clubs.

In addition to his musical abilities, Nawahi was also famed as a long
distance swimmer. In 1946 he swam from San
Pedro to Catalina Island in
just over 22 hours. He is still the only blind man to have completed this
swim.

Remaining musically active through the years, Bennie Nawahi suffered
a stroke in the late 1970s that left his body partially paralyzed. He
died in Long Beach, California after a long illness on January 29, 1985.

Yazoo Records
has just released the CD "King Bennie Nawahi: Hawaiian String Virtuoso"
(Yazoo 2055). It features the following songs by Nawahi:

Hawaiian Capers - King Nawahi's Hawaiians

Singin' In The Bathtub - Four Hawaiian Guitars

Ukulele Benny - Georgia Jumpers

May Day Is Lei Day In Hawaii - King Nawahi's Hawaiians

Dinah - Red Devils

Mauna Kea - King Nawahi's Hawaiians

Honolulu Bound - Hawaiian Beach Combers

My Little A-1 Brownie - Charles B. Smith

Big Feet Rag - Georgia Jumpers

My Girl From The South Sea Isles - Hawaiian Beach Combers

Ticklin' The Strings - King Nawahi's Hawaiians

Black Boy Blues - Four Hawaiian Guitars

California Blues - Georgia Jumpers

I've Seen My Baby - Q R S Boys

Waikiki Blues - Hawaiian Beach Combers

I Went To Hilo - King Nawahi's Hawaiians

Guitar Rhythm - Georgia Jumpers

Hawaiian Melody - Hawaiian Beach Combers

Aloha Means I Love You - King Nawahi's Hawaiians

Wiggle Yo Toes - Q R S Boys

Otto Wood, The Bandit - Slim Smith

Maui No La Ka Oi - King Nawahi's Hawaiians

I'm A Dreamer Aren't We All - Hawaiian Beach Combers

If you have questions, suggestions for improvements, or additional information,
please let me know.